WARREN ELLIS is a graphic novelist, writer, public speaker and author of the NYT best-selling novel GUN MACHINE.

The Authenticity Filter

Published September 30, 2011 by Warren Ellis

The iOS photo-sharing service changed all the filters one can apply to one’s iPhone photos. The Gotham filter, as favoured by Ben Templesmith – here’s one of his shots with Gotham applied – went away entirely. (And so has Ben, now). All the filters are now very… is mild the word? None of the filters apply heavy change to the image any more.

Which tends to eliminate the most interesting thing about Instagram. The application of patina filters made them feel to people like authentic memory: like they were already placed in a treasured past context. Now they’re just digital photos. Just new.